Timeline of Old Testament Books & their Parts Timeline Historical Circumstances Torah/Pentateuch Historical Books Writings/Wisdom Lit. Prophets 1000 BC United Monarchy Yahwists begin national epic Psalms (1000–400s?) under David & Solomon Proverbs (950–450?) 922 Divided Monarchy Elohists write national epic for Elijah and Elisha Northern Kingdom = Israel the north capital, Samaria Southern Kingdom = Judah Hosea and Amos preach in capital Jerusalem Israel; Micah preaches in Judah 760 Isaiah of Jerusalem advises Assyria destroys Israel Judean king against alliances 721 (most of Isa 1–39) and reduces Judah to a vassal state; then must pull troops out to fight Babylon back in the East Job (600s–400s?) Deuteronomists edit Amos 622 King Josiah reunifies nation (2:4-5; 3:7) Deuteronomists (Josiah’s Deuteronomists write Joshua, under the old covenant, then is scribes) merge J and E and Judges, 1 & 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Nahum prophesies against As- killed at the Battle of Megiddo in syria just before Babylonians de- take up the story from Moses’ Kings 609 BCE stroy it; Zephaniah prophesies final words to a history of the Ruth? 587 Babylon destroys Judah vs. idol worship; Habakkuk people in the promised land; prophesies of the coming Baby- kills Davidic line and exiles top Dtrs write and revise through the lonian threat leadership to Babylon, but then Babylonian Exile must fight off Persia to east Jeremiah and Ezekiel 539 Persia defeats Babylon Priestly writers regroup nation, The Chronicler writes 1 & 2 prophesy before and through and allows the Jewish exiles to merging J + E + D and adding Chronicles (which recast the Song of Songs (after 539) the Exile; II Isaiah prophesies from Exile (Isa 40–55) return, even subsidizes the re- their own stories of God’s control biblical history from Adam to building of some infrastructure and blessing = P 2 Kings with an emphasis on III Isaiah prophesies after the re- like the Temple David) and Ezra-Nehemiah Final redactor adds connect- turn from Exile; post-exilic edi- Ruth? (set in the period of the Qoheleth / Ecclesiastes 332 Greece defeats Persia ing bits to piece the final Torah tion of Amos; Lamentations Judges, but possibly written after (300s) and Baruch added to the Jere- Hellenistic Empires split together 198 Ptolemies lose “Israel” to exile to counter Ezra’s mandate miah tradition; Haggai, Zecha- Seleucids, who antagonize Jews against foreign wives?) Sirach / Ecclesiasticus riah, Malachi, Joel (post-exi- by imposing Greek culture Tobit (set in Assyrian period, but (200–175) lic prophets) 168 Maccabean Revolt written after Babyonian exile) Jonah (set during Assyrian pe- 164 Jewish family, Hasmoneans Judith (set in Assyrian or riod, written after Babylonian (a.k.a. Maccabees) wins, takes Babylonian period?, but written Exile) over kingship and eventually after Babyonian exile) high priesthood, with Seleucids’ Esther (set in Persian period, Wisdom (100?) Daniel (set in Babylonian Exile, blessing, splits Jewish society but written after Babyonian exile) written during Maccabean 63 Pompey takes Jerusalem Revolt) for Rome 1 & 2 Maccabees 37 Rome supports the Herodian family of Iturea in successful war against Hasmoneans; Herod the Great converts to Judaism 4 BCE Herod the Great dies Jesus is born.